A Dim Fantasy - Bright (REVIEW)

Netflix has slowly been entering into the movie game, buying up small films from Sundance for distribution. Every now and then they have a true Netflix original, and Bright is their biggest to date with a $90 million budget. Whether or not you like Netflix style of releasing films and tv shows (I think they had been overloading the platform with content to turn me away from the service more than entice me.) they seem to be slowly creeping up to the bigger studio films.

I honestly am not sure where to start in a film this boring. Sure the make-up is cool for the various orcs and elves but it doesn't take it to any fun or interesting places with the concept of orcs and elves living among us. We get the “racial” tension it is going for but it mostly just comes off as being hit over the head with the parallels. The humans, Will Smith included, are all kind of scum bags out to be the dominate race on the planet. I just wasn't enjoying any of it. Everyone is swearing and shooting at each other and aside from Jakoby played by Joel Edgerton, no one has anything resembling a winning personality. Will Smith can be funny sure but he is also a total dick and swears like a sailor just like all the cops he is supposed to be better than.

The fantasy element is just drowned out by a muddled plot of cops and gangs with random characters out to get a special girl who can use a wand. Anyone who does not posses the ability to handle a wand explodes on contact That is one aspect I found intriguing and makes magic a lot more dangerous. I was just wholly uninterested in the whole thing that I'm not sure if I missed the reason why the girl was being hunted other than there was word of a wand out in the world and a girl who could use it. She is a plot device and a damsel in distress that is taken from place to place with no real idea of what to do with her.

It's a shame this movie is as lame as it is with a concept that is pretty unique. Maybe in more skilled hands this could have been a worthwhile time. As it is, the drama is lifeless, the fantasy is stripped of it's magic and the jokes land more with a smirk than a laugh. Better luck in the already announced sequel boys.

FINAL SCORE

D

A weird mash up that feels just that.